GoodBye
by H. S. Hines
Summary: Nothing ever goes exactly as planned. And some wounds can't be healed, even by defeating your greatest enemy. Oneshot, complete, tragedy.


_Disclaimer: I don't own anything and I make no money._

Genre: Tragedy  
Code: Canon  
Rating: M/R  
Feedback: Yes, please. My muse needs something to get him out of this tragedy funk!

**Good-Bye**

The air was as thick as glue, the rain refusing to fall and wash away the heat. The ground was dry and hard, bruising and unforgiving. It soaked up the blood falling on it as though it suffered a great thirst. Sweat poured down Kagome's body as she writhed beneath the hanyo pinning her down. Pain lanced through her again as he thrust himself inside her.

The tentacle came out, drenched in her blood, leaving a gaping wound in her side, the same place from which she brought the shikon no tama into the world once more. InuYasha screamed her name, but she couldn't reply. Naraku's fist was in her mouth, trying to tear her head from her shoulders.

The heat beat down on her skin and the dirt turned to mud where it clung. Finally, she was able to reach the arrow she had been straining for and she brought it around violently, slamming it into Naraku's head.

It burst under her fist and the headless body retreated, surrounding the remains of his heart, desperate to protect it. It was too late, though. InuYasha grabbed Sesshomaru from the midst of Naraku's attempt to absorb him and the brothers swung their father's fangs together, Tetsusaiga's blast riding the crest of Tenseiga's. Kagome drew and fired into the center of the blast, seeing another arrow join her own.

All the attacks found their way home into the twisted visage of an infant. Naraku's body reformed around it at that exact moment and he screamed as his heart was torn and his body vivisected by the barrage.

"Kikyo!" InuYasha screamed and Kagome's heart lurched as she fell to the earth, bleeding profusely from her injuries. She watched silently as the hanyo ran to the miko, who was at the center of the impact point, lifting the solid shikon no tama. "It doesn't have to be like this!" He cried, reaching for her. A barrier protected her from his touch as she smiled down at him.

Kikyo said softly, "I am already dead, and Naraku's soul is bound to the shikon no tama. He is dragging it to hell with him as I speak and I must purify it for all of this to end. I must go now."

"Wait! I want to go with you!" InuYasha called. The barrier around Kikyo dropped as she started to fade and she held out her hand to him.

"Have you nothing to live for?" She whispered, her voice echoing as it traveled from the next world back to the battleground. InuYasha stopped and turned to Kagome. The pain in his eyes as he looked down at her was evident.

"I'm sorry, Kagome," he whispered. "It isn't fair to you…"

"You never said _you _would stay with _me_," Kagome said, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I had only hoped…"

"I love you," he whispered as he took Kikyo's hand. "But I can't live for you." His body quickly grew transparent with Kikyo and Kagome couldn't tear her gaze away as the two finally embraced. She swallowed the pain, shoving it deep down inside. She stood and smiled into his fading eyes, feeling like she was dying, but refusing to let it show.

InuYasha disappeared entirely and Kagome turned around, stumbling and falling onto the ground. It was then that she realized it had started to rain, at last. It washed away the sweat from her exposed skin and cooled her down. She felt everyone's eyes on her and she reached out to retrieve her bag.

Slowly, she stood and began walking back to the well, shaking badly. She made it only three steps before her legs gave out again.

"Kagome-sama," Miroku said, touching her shoulder.

"I'm fine," Kagome said immediately. "It… it never could have worked anyway. Our worlds… were too different. Neither of us could have lived in the other's. It's best this way. I… I should go home now." She forced herself to her feet. "You've all been wonderful friends and I'll miss you."

"This isn't how it was supposed to be!" Shippo cried, jumping in front of her and putting his hands on her ankle. "We were supposed to be happy when we defeated Naraku! InuYasha was supposed to stop being stupid and live with you, Kagome!"

"I was supposed to save Kohaku," Sango added from where she was lying next to Kirara, her abdomen a bloody mess.

"And Koga wasn't supposed to die… nor InuYasha," Kagome finished. "But that's what happened. We've done what we were supposed to, now it's time to move on with our lives. It's time to say good-bye," Kagome said.

"No!" Shippo cried, his tears falling on Kagome's weak legs. "It can't happen like this! It can't!"

"It's okay, Shippo," Miroku said, leaning down to scoop him up. "You can come live with Sango and I."

"You still…" Sango began and wasn't able to finish. She looked down at the ruined mess of her body. "I don't think I'll ever be able to have children now… If I survive." Miroku set Shippo back down and knelt by her side.

"I don't care about that, Sango. All I want is you," he whispered, taking her hands in his. Kagome couldn't take it. She started walking away as quickly as she could. Everyone's dreams had been shattered, it seemed.

She saw Sesshomaru walking away in the distance and he stopped and turned to her. The wind fluttered his hair around his body and his gold eyes glinted through the grey air, shining in the rain. Looking at him was what broke her. Kagome fell to the ground and began to weep, feeling lost and forsaken. She watched through her tears as Sesshomaru gathered up the remains of Jaken, who had fallen defending him.

Tenseiga had failed to revive him when Sesshomaru tried and Kagome knew that Sesshomaru felt the loss, even if he said nothing. Jaken had been with him for centuries and with his death, Sesshomaru was now utterly alone, having lost Rin when she was found by her relatives and convinced to go live with them. They were a samurai family and Rin felt safe with them, so Sesshomaru had encouraged her to leave.

Kagome had seen the parting and had seen the strange look in Sesshomaru's eyes as Rin called her good-byes to him. She saw the look again and knew that it was pain, now. So even the great Lord of the Western Lands could not remain unaffected.

Naraku may have died, but it was as though the shadow of his sadism lingered over them, denying them any happiness in the end. She wondered if he was laughing in hell, knowing that a piece of his evil had been left behind to destroy the hopes and hearts of all who had worked to vanquish him.

Kagome couldn't help thinking that it might have been more merciful had they all died. Then, she made herself stand and turn around to say good-bye, one last time. Good-bye to her love, to her friends, to her life in the past and… to her dreams. It was amazing how much could be lost in just a day. Kagome wondered how she had ever survived being fifteen.

'_Oh, well,' _she thought. _'Tomorrow, I say good-bye to that, too.'_

_**The End.**_


End file.
